Toronto Maple Leafs Game Preview & Live Thread Number 78: Boston Bruins

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Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Who: Boston Bruins (52-18-6) at Toronto Maple Leafs (37-32-8)

Where: Air Canada Centre

When: 7:30 PM EST

Where to watch: TSN, NESN

Where to listen: TSN 1050

Opposition Blog: Causeway Crowd 

The Leafs will play  no bigger game than this one against, of course, the Boston Bruins. The Leafs are not out of it, but they are out of it. Their chances of squeezing into the postseason are slim, but those odds improve if they win tonight, coupled with a Columbus Blue Jackets loss against the Philadelphia Flyers.

This almost seems too fitting that the Bruins can pretty much end the Leafs’ playoff hopes like they ended the Leafs last summer. I think the Leafs are already out of the race, but I could be wrong after tonight. The Bruins are looking for the season series victory while Toronto is trying to halve the series. Boston is usually dominant against Toronto so hopefully the Leafs come out with extra desperation than normal.

The Bruins are coming off a back-to-back, having played the Detroit Red Wings last night. With Tuukka Rask playing that game, the Leafs will catch a break by facing Bruins backup Chad Johnson. The Leafs, however, can’t afford to take this night lightly as the Bruins will be motivated after losing a tough one against the Wings.

NEXT: Lineups

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Notes: 

  • Do or Die: This could finish the chapter on a disappointing season for the Leafs or it could continue the final playoff push. The players have to know this and come out with desperation and fire tonight. They need to use their speed to get past the Bruins, as big as they are they are not the fastest.
  • Randy Carlyle‘s time as head coach could be determined by this game. If the Leafs manage to pull out a W, Carlyle could see another sunrise as Leafs head coach, but if the Bruins have their way with the Leafs as they have done so many times before, we could see Randy being handed his pink slip. Tim Leiweke made it clear he wants to win, and seeing the Leafs not make the pos-season a year after finally breaking that dreadful curse would be frustrating and unacceptable.
  • It looks like Jake Gardiner will get time on the first power-play unit tonight for the Leafs, which I mean, it is about time because the Leafs PP has been dreadful and having Gardiner alongside Phanuef should produce more shots and hopefully more goals.
  • It is unfortunate to see such an offensively talented forward like Kadri being demoted to the fourth line to play with plugs Clarkson and Bodie, but that is how Carlyle sees him. He is an offensive, give-me-the-puck kind of player and it is upsetting to see him not show his potential.
  • WIN THIS FOR BOWE.

You can join in the live thread by commenting below. Enjoy the game and GO LEAFS GO!!!!

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